Trimming knife



A. 0. WEISMANN. f 4

TRIMMING KNIFE.

APPLICATloN FILED SEPT. 2o. 1920.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARNOLD 0. WEISMANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRIMMING KNIFE.

Speeication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4., 1922.

Application filed September 20, 1920. Serial No. 411,536.

vices and is particularly adapted to utilize discarded safety razorblades and to provide a trimming knife in which the blades may bereadily renewed or replaced.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide 'a handle to whichthe razor blades of a type similar to that used in the Gillette safe-tyrazor may be attached to afford a substantial and convenient trimmingknife; to attach the blade to the handle in such a manner that theremoval and replacement of the blade may be readily and quicklyaccomplished ;to securely clamp the blade on to'the handle and bracesame so that looseness or shifting of the blade is prevented; to providea guard for the blade which reinforces the latter and prevents breakageowing to the thin character of the blade; and in general to provide animproved holder for safety razor blades, of simple form, inexpensiveconstruction, and whereby such blades may be readily secured and held inthe holder so as to provide a trimming knife which may be subjected tohard usage without danger of breaking thel blade.

On the drawings- Fig. 1 is a side view of a trimming knife formed of myimproved holder with a razor blade attached;

Fig. 2 an edge view thereof; l

Fig. 8 a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 an edge view of the clamping plates which I employ for attachingthe razor blade to the handle.

Referring to the drawings the reference numeral 1 indicates a handlewhich is preferably of wood or similar material. suitably shaped so asto be conveniently grasped for trimming or cutting with the attachedblade, and 2 is a tapered metal socket which is fitted on to the end ofthe handle 1 and secured thereto by the rivet 3. The end of the handle 1within the socket 2 is slitted or divided as indicated at 4 and at theinner end of the slit is enlarged, as indicated at 5,

to form an arched seat at each side for a purpose which will appearhereinafter.

The outer end of the socket 2 is shaped to form an end opening 6 ofnarrow width which aligns with the slitv 1 in the handle 1l and at eachside of the opening there is a lip 7 extending forwardly from thesocket. These lips are of corresponding form and arranged in spacedparallel relation and each has a corresponding circularA notch 8 in theouter end.

This holder is designed particularly to be used with razor blades of thetype used in the Gillette safety razor, such blades being extremely thinand double edged and provided with a perforation 9 near each end. Owingto the thinness of these blades it is impossible to use them in anordinary blade holder for cutting purposes, as for example, as a shoemakers knife for cutting leather, rubber, etc., as the strain of a hardcut either bends the blade so that it will not cut on astraight line orbreaks thefblade. To enable the blade to be Iused for work of thischaracter and at the same time afford a simple and convenient means forattaching the blade to the handle, I employ a pair of clamping plates10' and 11 each of which is similarly formed with a corresponding shank12 for insertion through the opening 6 of the socket 2 and into the slit1 of the handle, said plates 10 and 11 being of suitable width justbeyond the opening G to cover the entire width of the razor blade 13 andbeing correspondingly cut away at opposite sides, as indicated at 11 and15. so as to expose the forward portion of each edge of the blade. Theportions 1-1- may be cut away for a somewhat longer distance along theedge of the blade and to a little greater depth than the cut awayportions 15 to expose a greater portion of the blade for ordinary use,whereas the less amount of cutting away of the plates 10 and 11 at 15reinforces the cutting edge to a greater extent and enables the portionof the blade exposed at this point to be used for harder service thanthe portion exposed at the point 14. However. at both sides the plates1() and 11 are extended outwardly fairly close to the edge of the razorso as to reinforce the latter and prevent bending and breaking thereof.which would occur in cutting hard materials without such reinforcement.The plate 11 at a point distant froml the outer end correspondingapproximately to the distance of the holes 9 in the razor blade from-theends thereof has a circular stud 16 riveted, or otherwise secured, onthe inner face and of suitable size to fit somewhat closely in either ofthe holes 9 of the razor blade 13, and the other plate 10 at a vcorresponding point is provided with aperture 17 to receive the end ofthe stud 16 and thereby hold the plates 1() and 11 in alignment.The'plate 11 also has another stud 18 on the inner face spaced from thestud 16 a distance corresponding to the distance between the holes 9 inthe razor blade 13, and the plate 10 has a corresponding aperture 19 toreceive the stud 18. The stud 18 extends upwardly from the plate 11 soas to project through the opening 19 in the plate 10 when the razorlblade is clamped therebetween and at the outer side of the platev 11 isa corresponding stud 20, and these studs 18 and 20 when the lates 10 and11 are inserted in the socket 2 t into the notches 8 of the lips 7 ofthe socket to steady or brace the clamping members 10 and 11 and preventshifting thereof and consequent looseness of the blade 13 on the handlein the operation of cutting.

. The plates 10 and 11 are bowed outwardly intermediate of their ends,as shown in Fig. 4, so that when the Shanks 12 thereof are inserted inthe socket 2 the exposed portions of said plates 10 and 11 andparticularly the outer ends thereof will press firmly against theopposite sides of the blade 13. The

Shanks 14 of each of the plates 10 and 11 at their inner ends areoppositely arched at 21 so as to spring outwardly into the cavities 5 atopposite sides of the lower end of the split 4 when the Shanks 12 arefully inserted so as to hold the plates 10 and 11 securely in the fullyinserted position in the socket 2.

It will be observed that the forward end of the socket 2 is rounded asat 22 and the opposite ends of the opening 6 are located a shortdistance back of' the rounded portions 22, thereby serving to stiffenthe forwardly.

projecting lips 7 and afford a slight spring or give which insures thelips 7 being held firmly against the outer faces of the plates 10 and11.

- In attaching a blade to this holder the plates 10 and 11 are merelywithdrawn from the socket 2, a substantial pull being required owing tothe engagementof the ex-.

panded ends 21 inthe slitted opening of the handlel, and then the razorblade 13 is placed between the plates 10 and 11 with the openings 9 ofthe blade fitted on the studs 16 and 18. The plate 10 is then presseddown against the top of the razor blade so that the openings 17 and 19of the plate 10 engages the studs 16 and 18 respectively and the Shanks4 of these plates inserted in the socket 2 until the studs 18 and 20engage the notches 8 of the lips 7. When so engaged the expanded ends 21of theshanks 4 engagein the enlarged lower end 5 oftheslit4 and hold theclamp plates 10 and 11 securely connected to the handle 1.

While I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, I amaware that various changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the principles of my invention, the scope of which is tobe determined by the appended claims.

`I claim as my invention: f

1. In a knife, the combination of a handle having an elongated socketopening extending into the end thereof, a pair of clamping platesadapted to grip and hold a blade therebetween and provided withcorresponding extensions adapted to be inserted in the socket opening ofthe handle, said extensions being provided with laterally expansibleportions at their inner ends and- `the socket being provided withlateral seats at the inner end-adapted to be engaged by the expansiveportions of the extensions for holding the extensions in the fullyinserted position, and a ferrule on the handle having anu opening inalignment with the socket opening and engaging the outer faces of theclamping plates adjacent the inner end of the blade so as to press theplates against the blade.

2. In a knife, the combination of a handle having an elongated socketopening in one end, a pair of clamping plates having correspondingextensions adapted to be inserted in the socket opening so as to hold ablade therebetween, saidl clamping plates being reversely arched fromend to end and engaged midway between the ends of the arched portions bythe outer end of the socket so as to be fiattened against the blade andexert spring tension thereon when the extensions are inserted in thesocket opening of the handle. y

3. In a knife, the combination of a handle having an elongated socketopening in one end, a ferrule on the end of a handle around theelongated opening and provided with an extension at each side of theopening, a pair of clamping plates adapted to hold a blade therebetweenand having corresponding portions adapted to be inserted in the openingof a handle, said extensions being arranged to press the clamping platestogether when the latter are attached to the handle.

4. In a knife, the combination of a handle having an elongated socketopening in one vend thereof, a pair of clamping plates adapthaving anelongated opening in the end, a pair of clamping plates having portionsinsertable in said opening for attaching the clamping plates to thehandle and simultaneously-pressing the plates together so as to clamp ablade therebetween, interengaging means on the plates and the blade forholding the plates in the proper relative position and locking thebladetherebetween, said means being arranged to projectat opposite sides ofthe clamping plates, an extension on the handle at each side of theopening therein having' notches in their forward ends engaged by theaforesaid projecting locking means of the clamping plates. l 6. ln aknife, the combination of a handle having an elongated opening in. theend thereof, a pair of clamping plates having corresponding portionsinsertable in said opening for attaching the -plates to the handle andpressing the plates together so as to clamp a blade therebetween, a-blade interposed between and interlocked ywith the clamping plates,said clamping plates being extended to the outer end ofthe blade andacross the entire width of the inner end of the blade and beingcorrespondingly cut awayalong the lateral edge from a point.

having corresponding extensions inserted ink the openingoil the handle,a blade inter` locked with and clamped between the eX- posed portions ofthe plates and having an edge thereof project-ing beyond the clampingplates, means projecting at opposite sides of the clamping platesintermediate of the ends of the exposed portions thereof, and aprojection on the handle at each side of the openingtherein for holdingthe plates against the interposed blade and having portions at the outerend engaging the projecting means of the clamping plates for bracingsame against movement relatively to the handle under cutting pressure.

, i ARNGLD O. WEISMANN.

